System of mining coal.



E OTOOLE.

SYSTEM OF MINING COAL. APPLICATION FILED MAR.16. 1914.

l 2?6, 952 Patented Aug. 27, 1918.

[IJITUIIHIJZHIIES INVENTOR Wfia 764a,

incense by the development of the Second heading so as to not interfere with the workings, means of communication between the headings for the removal of the coal are maintained at successively greater distances from the airways or mouth of the headings.

As by the time the first driven rooms i1, 42, etc., are robbed, the haulway 81 connecting the first and second headings will have been completed, and the neeessity'for having the entry 32 ends, so that for the remaining depth of the first heading, but twoentries 31 and 33 will be formed, the entry 31 for the mine car tracks and the entry 33 p'rin cipally to insure an adequate circulation of air while developing.

\Vhen robbing of the rooms a l, 42, -'l3, etc., has advanced ,to the mouth of the room opening into the entry 31 of the first heading robbing of the pillars between the entries 31 and 32 is started and in due time the pillars between the entries and .This robbing of the pillars renders the heading formed by the entries 31, 32 and 33 unsafe or unfit for use, but in the meantime the second heading formed by the entries 71, 72 and 73 will have advanced a sutlicient distance to permit the haulways 80, 81, 82 and 83 to be completed, and the removal of loaded coal cars and their re placement by empty cars will be effectedthrough the haulways 81, 82, and 83, and the entries 71 and 72 into the airways 2i and 25 without interruption of the mining operations or reduction in the coal output.

lVhcn the entries 71, 72 and 73 forming the second heading have progressed a suiiicient distance, the rooms 91, 92, 93, etc., will be successively turned from the entry 71 and caused to-extend parallel to the rooms -11, 42 and 13, at such a time that the first of these rooms will have advanced to the entry 33 or" the first heading by the time the robbing of the pillars in the rooms 43, $4,,

45 and 46 and of the entries 31, 32, has advanced to the same point. Eobbing of the room 91 and successively 92 and 93 will. then commence and continue in the same robbing line as formed by the robbing of the rooms 41, e2, etc., oil the heading 31.

When the timevarrives in which the rooms 91, 92, 93, etc., turned from the second heading; are so advanced that hauling the loaded cars through the entry 71 interferes with the mining operations in this h eading, a third heading formed by the entries 101, 102, 103 and 10 i, will have been turned from the airways and will have been advanced sntliciently to enable the haulways 115 and 116 to be formed so .as to connect the third with;

the second heading.

In the same manner additional haulways will be driven as required by the develop- I ment of the headings from the'entries forming the third heading to those of the second, but no rooms will be driven from the third heading until-the first and second headings ha-vebeenentirely robbed out, (2'. c. all of the coal has been removed.) When this third heading reaches the property line, the rooms will be turned and robbed, being robbed in retreating as in the ordinary practice.

In hauling the mined coal the miners will deliver the loaded cars on the track extending through the entry 310i the first formed heading, which is nearest the series of rooms. -After a considerable number of rooms 41, 12, d3, etc., have been formed the motor will enter the heading from the airway 25 with a trailing string of empty cars. The motor will push the loaded cars in front of it as it advances into the heading, collect-ing and coupling the loaded cars into a train. As the motor proceeds into the heading, empty cars will be placed in front of each of the rooms being worked.

When the motor reaches a point beyond the haulway 81, all of the empty cars pulled ihtothc mine by it will have been dropped. T he loaded cars in front of the motor having been coupled together to form a train, are then hauled out of the mine through the entry 32, so as. not to interfere with the empties just placed.

. The next trip of the motor or a second motor will bring its trip of empties into the mine through the entry 31 and.distribute them as described above in the entry 31 between the haulways 81. and 82, pushing the loaded cars ahead of it past the haulway 81. The motor will then pull its train of loaded cars through the haulway 81 to the second heading and out through the entry of this heading to the airways.

The next train of empties will go into the entry 31, pushing the loaded cars ahead of 1t and distributing the empties between the haulways 81 and and hauling the -loaded cars through the haulway 82 to the 

